


I'm Sorry, What?

by fancyachatup



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AU, Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Best Man, Cinnamon Roll, DEREK IS HAPPY, Drinking, Endgame Sterek, Engagement, Family, Fluff, Happy, Happy Ending, Kinds, Lydia cares for everyone, Lydia is a Good Friend, M/M, Minor Trigger Warning, People know about werewolves, Pre wedding, Stiles is Happy, Stiles-centric, Stydia, Teen Wolf, Toast, Trust, Truth Serum, Woops, best man speech, brief - Freeform, derek feels loved, drugged, drunk, everyone is happy, fluffy fluff, implied stydia, mate, mention of suicide, non con drugging, rehearsal dinner, slight angst, speech, sterek, truth potion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:59:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10021751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fancyachatup/pseuds/fancyachatup
Summary: Basically Stiles is Derek's mate but Derek doesn't tell him until Stiles is getting (fake) marriedA/N I rewrote this chapter this morning





	

**Author's Note:**

> Please send me prompts!  
> +  
> Follow my Teen Wolf insta @heck.lin

It was official; Derek Hale's life was over. Not only was the love of his life getting married in approximately 24 hours, but there was nothing he could do to stop him. Of course, Stiles didn't actually _know_ that Derek was incredibly in love with him, nor did he know that Stiles was his  _mate_. Nonetheless, it was Stiles' big day and he was going to make it good for his mate-uh Stiles. Why Lydia had finally agreed to marry Stiles after all his years of pinning left Derek clueless, but he owed it to both of his friends to attend their upcoming nuptials.

Derek straightened his tie, his tux showing off his body, but the only person he wanted to show off for was Stiles, so he disregarded the fact. It was the night before the wedding, and all guests were required by "Bridezilla Lydia Martin" to dress to the nines for their rehearsal dinner. Derek didn't really understand of going through each and every motion that they'd just be reliving tomorrow but he supposed that no one ever really knew what Lydia Martin was up to.

He eventually made his way down to the ballroom of the hotel where the 'practice' wedding was being held. He was ushered to a table in the front where Stiles, Lydia, Scott, and Sheriff Stilinski were already seated.

"How nice of you to finally join us!" Lydia said sweetly, rolling her eyes.

"Lyds, leave him be. We all know that he's just grumpy because he's gonna be the center of attention in less than an hour," Stiles exclaimed, gulping down some champagne.

Derek froze. "What do you mean  _center of attention_ Stiles?" Derek asked through gritted teeth.

Stiles had the audacity to smirk. "Well, you sir, are giving the best man's speech!"

Derek spat out the sip of champagne he had taken earlier, looking wildly around the table. "I'm sorry, what?"

There was a slight chuckle from everyone at the table, and Derek stared directly at Scott. "You're supposed to be his best man! You grew up together and you both have this weird platonic soulmate shit going on!" Scott let out a full chuckle this time, and Derek cast an accusatory glance his way.

"Well bud, Scott and I talked it over and we both agreed that  _your_ suffering would make for a much more entertaining night."

+++

Derek did  _not_ know that it was possible for werewolves to sweat, but here he was standing on top of the stage, facing the entirety of what was left of Beacon Hills. It was more than awful, it was excruciating. Even more so because he was supposed to be happy about giving away his mate to a certain red-haired lady that grated his nerves like no one else. He cleared his throat and tried to ignore the hundreds of eyes on him as he prepared to rattle of nonsense about Stiles and Lydia's relationship. He was suddenly very grateful for the odd tasting champagne that Lydia had shoved into his head before he made his way in front of the crowd.

"So...my name is Derek Hale and I am the Alpha of the Beacon Hills pack. I, uh I-I have never given one of these, um speeches before. In fact, I actually hate public speaking, so it is just like Stiles to force me into doing this." He allotted himself a small glance in Stiles' direction, heart warmed by the smile on his mate's face. A brief frown overpowered him, but he let it dissipate quickly, reminding himself that Stiles' happiness was much more important than any stupid feelings he was harboring for Stiles.

He cleared his throat. "One of the first times I had the absolute  _pleasure_ of meeting Stiles was when he got me arrested."

A few chuckles resounded after the statement, and it only encouraged him to strive on.

"After a few more arrests from none other than Stiles' father, the Sheriff, I realized that Stiles was just a kid that was trying to help his town. He spared no expense in saving his friends. He risked his education, life, and happiness all to provide protection for his friends, and that, his loyalty, is what I admire most about my ma-main friend, Stiles Stilinski."

His heart ached at the fact that Stiles would never really be his, but continued his speech.

"In fact, that loyalty has saved countless lives in this room." He glanced around, looking pantingly at Scott, Mellissa, the Sheriff, and a few more.

He took a deep breath and another sip of champagne, his head getting a bit cloudy. 

"Actually, I lied. Stiles' loyalty may be prominent, but that is not what attracted me to him in the first place. That first day I was Stiles and his idiot fried standing on the edge of my property, I wanted to kill Scott."

This statement was of course met with gasps, but Derek found that he no longer cared.

"Yeah, I definitely wanted to kill Scott McCall that night, because I thought he was encroaching on my territory." Derek shook his head. "No, not my territory that the house was built on, but Stiles. I thought that Scott was touching  _my_ Stiles. After all, his scent was all over him. And I was going to go through with it until I finally looked into Stiles's eyes."

Derek chanced a glance at Stiles, looking at the shock and tears gathering there.

"His eyes, god, his entire face...it was just so beautiful. I couldn't believe my luck. My  _mate_ was stunning."

Their was a collective intake of air, from the werewolves in the room, understanding exactly how much Stiles actually meant to Derek.

"Before my mother died, she told me all about how one day I would find my mate, how they would complete me, make me a better person...I never really believed her until tonight when I realized just how much I have changed since I had met Stiles. He makes my life worth living, after my family died I thought that I would leave Beacon Hills, find a home elsewhere in the world, and live out the rest of my days miserably. Instead, I found a mate, and even though he'll never be mine, I can live knowing that he is truly loved and happy and safe. After all, if you love something, you're supposed to let it go, right?"

Derek raised his glass of champagne in the air, "To Stiles", and promptly fled the room.

He navigated his way through the dozens of tables in the ballroom, ignoring the stares he was receiving, eventually finding his way out onto an abandoned fire escape. He sat alone with his thoughts, disbelieving of all that he had just publicly confessed in front of the few friends he had, and quickly realized that Stiles could no longer be one of them, not after the stunt he had just pulled. 

He was shocked when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned around to meet the eyes of an unsettlingly happy Lydia Martin. Needless to say he began to back away slowly.

"Derek, I am not mad. I am actually quite happy."

He whipped his head around, "What?"

She placed her elbows on the railing, resting her head on the palm of her hands, staring into his soul.

"Didn't you think it was strange? How, out of the blue, Stiles and I decided to get married straight after graduation? How we basically planned a shotgun wedding? That I, Lydia Martin, decided to have one of the most important moments in a women's life in a stingy hotel ballroom?"

Derek stared, baffled. "But...but Stiles has been in love with you since you were like six, right? And after you and Jackson split, you guys got really close....I just assumed that it was obvious a romantic connection would form."

She scoffed. "I am many things Derek Hale, but I am definitely  _not_ one to elope, especially with a dork like Stilinski. We got 'close' because we were...studying. About mates. Learning the behaviors of Alphas who are consistently exposed to their mate, and we devised a plan to get you to pull your head out of your ass and finally admit your feelings for Stiles."

Derek stared, unblinking. "By getting engaged and having a wedding? What were you going to do if I didn't actually confess, huh?"

She chuckled. "Derek, this night went off without a single hitch. We slipped a modified truth serum in your champagne flask and the rest was up to you and your emotions. It's job is to relax the mind into expressing true feelings...the same feelings you confessed to Scott about last full moon."

"You drugged me? What the hell Lydia?"

Derek took a step back, hurt blooming in his chest.

"You can't be that surprised." Lydia shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

"That's...that's not okay! After everything we've been through together, how could you do that?"

She turned to look at him, her eyes unnervingly knowing, filling with what looked like images tears.

"I know it's wrong. I know that. But Derek you don't understand. This morning, before the rehearsal, there was no truth serum. I didn't make it until an hour before the rehearsal and Stiles has no idea that I did it. I made it because today I woke up in a field three towns over, screaming bloody murder."

She ducked her head, her voice no louder than a whisper. "I'm not stupid Derek. I know that Alpha's can't live without their mates. I also know that this morning you decided you were going to give Stiles up without a fight." She sniffled in, her voice coming out cracked.

She started pacing back and forth on the balcony now, an urgency in her words.

"That scream was because of you Derek. That scream, the banshee one? The one that predicts murder and death and despair? It was because you were going to die because you wouldn't get your shit together and tell Stiles. Derek, I know we don't always see eye to eye best but we've become family. You, Stiles, Scott, you're the only family I have left...and I couldn't bear living with the fact that you'd rather let yourself die, that you'd _kill_ yourself before you'd ever let yourself be happy. I'm so sorry for tricking you Derek, but I can't lose you too. Not now, not ever."

The silence was overwhelming as Derek took it all in.

He felt his anger dissipating, being replaced with a strong sense of admiration and respect...gratefulness that someone actually noticed and cared about him. He hadn't had that since the fire, and from what he knew of Lydia's family, her adolescent years weren't exactly warm and fuzzy. It made sense in a twisted way that the two of them would come to rely on each other.

"Lydia, I-I forgive you. I know I'm supposed to be pissed at you, and believe me, I was, but ever since the fire, you and the rest of Beacon Hills have been my family. And...and I know that you care about me more than you let on. I'm grateful, to have someone like you in my life, who genuinely cares. Just please don't do that ever again. Next time I decided to be stupid, lock me in the basement until I come to my senses, yeah?" He said with a small smile, eyes watering as Lydia walked over and wrapped him tightly in a warm hug.

"Derek, you aren't the only one with feelings, and Stiles is one of my best friends. He deserves a happy ending and so do you. Just go talk to him, he is waiting in his hotel room." And, after slipping Derek the key card to room 317, she was out of sight.

+++

Derek was shaking with nerves, his anxiety almost to overwhelming to function, but he made it up to the third floor, only to proceed to sit in front of room 317 for around 3 minutes. With one last deep breath, Derek raised his hand and inserted the key, opening the door after receiving the green light.

Within seconds, he had an arm full of Stiles, who was hugging him like he never wanted to let go. Derek felt the same, of course. Their hug broke, and Derek whimpered as his mate walked away from him, taking two steps backwards, before grasping Derek's face between both of his hands, smashing his lips onto Derek's.

This kiss didn't last long, chaste and full of love before Stiles broke it off.

"Fucking finally!" Stiles whispered, reverently staring into Derek's eyes.

+++

They'd been sitting on the hotel bed for hours, Stiles twiddling with Derek's hands, periodically pressing kisses onto his hands.

"Hey Derek? Can I ask you a question?" Stiles whispered quietly.

Derek shifted onto his side to better face his mate, smirking. "You just asked two."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Stiles, you can ask and tell me anything."

"Why aren't you upset? At me...and Lydia?"

There was a brief silence as Derek thought over his answer.

"Before I met you, all I ever felt was anger. Anger at Kate Argent and the rest of the hunters...but most of the time it was just at myself. I was constantly berating myself for falling for an abusive woman who killed my family, pissed at myself for letting this happen to the rest of my family. And when I met you..." Derek trailed off.

"...but then I met you. You were stupid and naive and you caused trouble wherever you went, but you always made to clean up after yourself. It was refreshing, Stiles, to be around you. Your optimistic realism was inspiring and that was before I really came to terms with the fact that you were my mate. I guess what I'm trying to say that, after years of self-hatred and brooding and just  _hating_ myself, I decided that...I  _deserve_ happiness. For a long time after my family's death I didn't think that I would ever be happy again, I didn't  _want_ to be happy again. But then you literally stumbled into my life and you eased all the burdens that  had unknowingly taken on."

Derek caressed Stiles' cheek, whispering, "I love you Stiles Stilinski, because you taught me how to love myself."

**Author's Note:**

> Please send me prompts!  
> +  
> Follow my Teen Wolf insta @heck.lin


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